China is a tea-drinking nation. For the Bai, tea is a popular drink. They normally drink tea twice a day, in the early morning and at noon. The tea drunk in the early morning is called “morning tea” or “wakening tea,” and is consumed immediately after getting up. The tea drunk at noon is called “relaxing tea” or “thirst-satisfying tea.” People often add some popcorn and milk to their tea. 

History

The Bai began to plant tea and make tea long ago, and they have formed their unique tea culture on tea drinking, which is called “Three-course Tea of Bai Ethnic”. Early in Ming (1368-1644 AD) and Qing (1616-1912 AD) Dynasty, the Three-course Tea had already become a conventional way that Bai ethnic treat visitors.

What Is Three-Course Tea?

The Three-course Tea is a tea drinking ceremony practiced by the Bai ethnic group on holidays or when treating honored guests. Every course has different taste, implying the philosophy of life that “bitter the first, sweet the second and aftertaste the third.” This ceremony was originally held by the senior members or the most reverent member of a family.

Three Courses

For the first course of tea, the tea needs to be put into a small pottery jar first and roasted on fire until the tealeaves become yellow and give off a charred smell. After added with boiled water, the tea is ready for drink in small cups. It is amber in color with rich fragrance and a bitter taste, meaning that one will suffer a lot before she/he starts his or her career.

By adding new water into the jar, boiling and pouring the tea into a bowl with brown sugar and walnuts, the second course of tea is done. The tea is fragrant and sweet, symbolizing the meaning of “no sweet without sweat”.

The third course is made through pouring boiled tea into a bowl with honey and Sichuan pepper. The tea is sweet, bitter and spicy with great aftertaste, which implies that we need to remain a placid frame of mind after having been through all tastes.

The Three-course Tea of the Bai ethnic minority became a ceremony for treating guests or friends of the people of Bai in as early as the Ming Dynasty, delivering people the profound connotation of treating life and career with an ordinary and placid mindset.

After unearthing and the wide spread publicized by tourists, viewing the process of making the “Three-Course Tea” and tasting the Bai ethnic tea culture is widely loved by the tourists. If you go to Dali, do not forget to taste this unique tea. That is another kind of enjoyment!

by Xiao Xiao @ InteractChina.com

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